1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing equipment. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to an electronic fishing device that can be steered in azimuth and depth by remote control or by preprogrammed instructions.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, methods of fishing can be divided into two broad categories: (1) fishing with a lure or baited hook, and (2) fishing with a net or trap. Sport fishermen generally use a fishing method in the first category, and may fish from the shore of a lake or river, or may fish from a boat. While boat fishing, the boat may be stationary, or the boat may move while the lure or bait is trolled behind the boat. Common problems experienced by sport fishermen arise from the fact that the fishermen have limited control over the positioning of the lure in the water. For depth control, a float may be positioned on the fishing line at a distance from the lure equal to the desired depth. However, this method is not accurate when the lure is moving through the water. Some lures may have control surfaces that cause the lure to dive when it is pulled through the water. Therefore, the depth of the lure may be roughly determined by the speed of the lure. However, this technique is also not very accurate. Azimuth control is generally determined by the direction in which the fisherman casts the lure. Once it is in the water, however, the lure is limited to traveling a direct line between the lure and the fisherman as it is reeled in.
Commercial fishermen may use hook lines or may use a method in the second category (i.e., fishing with a net/trap). Outriggers and/or downriggers may be utilized to deploy the hook lines. Outriggers and downriggers utilize an underwater foil connected to the lines, and the speed generated by the trawler causes the foil to pull the hook lines outward from the side of the trawler, or to pull the lines to a desired depth, respectively. The use of outriggers and downriggers requires that the trawler maintain sufficient headway to provide the necessary force on the foils to properly deploy the lines. In an alternative method, the trawler may let out a length of net behind the trawler using electric wenches, and the trawler may then steam in a circle to enclose a school of fish with the net. This method of deploying a net also requires that the trawler maintain sufficient headway to avoid tangling the net.
In order to overcome the disadvantage of existing solutions, it would be advantageous to have an electronic fishing device that can be steered in azimuth and depth by remote control or by preprogrammed instructions. The present invention provides such a device.
The present invention is a fishing device that goes where the fish are. The device is a remote controllable or autonomous aquatic harvesting and control device. In different embodiments, the device may detect, pursue, and then hook, net, or trap the fish. In different embodiments, the device comes in different sizes, and with different capabilities and intelligence depending on the user""s application.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a fishing device that includes means for catching fish, and means for controlling the device""s depth and azimuth heading. The means for controlling the device""s depth and azimuth heading may include a plurality of control surfaces extending from the device into a surrounding body of water, and electro-mechanical control means for moving the control surfaces. Depth control may be performed through a combination of device buoyancy and movement of the control surfaces. The fishing device may be steered in azimuth and depth by remote control or by preprogrammed instructions.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a system for electronically controlling a fishing device in a body of water. The system comprises a fishing device that includes means responsive to control instructions for controlling the device""s depth and azimuth heading, and a remote controller that generates the control instructions. A communications link between the fishing device and the remote controller carries the control instructions from the remote controller to the fishing device. The communications link may be a sonic data link that utilizes sound waves in the water to transmit the control instructions to the fishing device, an electromagnetic data link that utilizes electromagnetic waves through the water to transmit the control instructions to the fishing device, or a wireline data link that utilizes a data connection through a tether to transmit the control instructions to the fishing device.